Jaina Iconography

SR No.: 011018
Original Sutra Author: N/A
Author: B Bhattacharya
Publisher: Motilal Banarasidas
Publication Year: 1974
Total Pages: 247
Language: English
Classification: Book_English
File Size: 17 MB

Page 142

CHAPTER IV
THE DIKPĀLAS
Equally with Brāhmaṇism, the Jainas of both the sects make room for an important class of divinities under the designation of the Dikpālas, who are supposed to guard the quarters. Their origin, on probable grounds, underlies the actual ideals of certain semi-divine kings, who took the responsibility of governing regions of all the distinct quarters. Their ideas were, undoubtedly, far anterior to the carly Brālmaņas than to the Jainas. Like the majority of gods imported into the Jaina Pantheon, the Dikpīla gods were directly taken over by the Jaina people. The main charactcristics of the Dikpālas are ncarly those which we find in connection with the same deities of Brāhmaṇisın. In one point, however, the position of the Dikpīlas of Jainismı is clistinct enough. It is always subscrvient to that of the Tirthamkaras, who like the Buddhas were served and cared for by the chiess of the quarters. It is interesting to reflect that some of the Yaksas, who owe', as a rule, their origin to other ideas as well, bear rccoguisable names and nature of the Dikpālas. Whether the Dikpālas came first in order or the Yakşas is an open question. Yet we have niore reason to believe that the conception of the latter was clearly influenced by the former. The Dikpalas, in some cases, such as Indra, Išāna, Brahmä and Nāga introduce into the Jaina godhood their spouses described separatcly in the iconographic texts. Another feature regarding the Dikpālas, who are also called Lokapālas, is their worship as Vāstu-devatās. One Svetambara test makes them functioning as Kumāras, who diller very little in nature from the Gods of the quarters. We shall describe, now separately the iconography of these ten Dikpālas recognised by both thc Svetāinbaras and Digambaras.
Indra
There seems to lie very little difference between the descriptions of the Dikpāla Indra, as afforded both by the Sve